WICKED Comes to Sydney's Capitol Theatre, Sept 20; More Tickets Available for Melbourne

Due to extraordinary demand, new tickets will be released today for the Melbourne season of the award-winning musical theatre blockbuster WICKED.

WICKED Australian Co-Producer John Frost said, "Bookings are very strong for the return of WICKED to Melbourne - it really is the most successful Broadway musical of the past decade. Audiences can't wait to see this glorious show back in its original Australian home, the beautiful Regent Theatre, Melbourne this year."

Frost also announced that WICKED would make its way to Sydney's Capitol Theatre following the Melbourne season, from September 20. Tickets for the Sydney season will go on sale on March 17.

This 10th Anniversary tour of "one of the most successful shows in Broadway history" (The New York Times) stars Lucy Durack as Glinda and Jemma Rix as Elphaba, both reprising the roles which shot them to stardom during the original Australian tour. Joining the WICKED Company in his first musical theatre leading role is Steve Danielsen as Fiyero, while doyenne of stage and screen, Maggie Kirkpatrick returns as Madame Morrible. The role of Nessarose is played by newcomer Emily Cascarino, while Edward Grey plays Boq.

The Australian cast are currently performing in Manila, the Philippines, where they have received a rapturous response from sell out audiences. WICKED broke all box office records for the number of tickets sold in a week when it first went on sale in Manila in August. The Philippine Star said, "No amount of superlatives can capture what this decade-long, multi-award winner of a musical that originated in Broadway has to offer for its audiences," as well as "The sets, stage effects, props and lighting design are spectacular, stunning - indeed, awesome, enhancing and providing the overwhelming ambience for the pompous splendour of the costumes."

Broadway's #1 show for an unprecedented ten consecutive years, WICKED has been declared "A Cultural Phenomenon" by Variety and "The Best Musical of the Decade" by Entertainment Weekly. WICKED returns to the Regent Theatre, Melbourne on May 7 for a strictly limited season prior to touring to Sydney and Brisbane.

When WICKED opened on Broadway, it worked its magic on critics and audiences alike. Winner of over 50 major awards including the Grammy Award, three Tony Awards and six Helpmann Awards including Best Musical, WICKED is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production features musical staging by Wayne Cilento and is directed by Lisa Leguillou, based on the original direction by Joe Mantello. WICKED is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

For more information, visit wickedthemusical.com.au.

DETAILS:

Venue Regent Theatre, Melbourne

Previews 7-9 May, 2014

Season From 10 May, 2014

Performance Times Wed-Sat 8.00pm, Wed 1.00pm, Sat 2.00pm, Sun 1.00pm and 6.30pm

Price Tickets from $69.90*

Bookings ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 111 011

Groups 12+ save 1300 889 278

*An additional transaction fee and/or a credit/debit payment processing fee may apply

Venue Capitol Theatre, Sydney

Season From 20 September, 2014

TICKETS ON SALE MARCH 17